


Jade and Sapphire

by thepetulantpen



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bar fights, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Robin Hood - Freeform, cross-posted from my tumblr, fairy tale AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24989638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepetulantpen/pseuds/thepetulantpen
Summary: Prompt fills from Beaujester week 2019, now cross-posted from my tumblr.1- First Kiss/Battle Couple2- Fairy Tale/Emotional Support
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Beauregard Lionett
Kudos: 40





	1. First Kiss/Battle Couple

The first time they kiss, it’s not what Beau expects. It’s not quiet, sweet, _private_.

She should’ve known better, really. Her and Jester have never been quite normal or conventional, swept up in the whirlwind of their own chaos.

While the kiss does not meet _expectations_ , per se, it is, in a manner of speaking, completely fitting for the two of them.

It’s the perfect kiss for Jester and Beau, who fight like most couples dance. On a battlefield- or in a grimy bar, like tonight- they are unstoppable. They move in tandem and their strikes complement each other perfectly. Their attacks land to the tune of a song their hearts know, their footsteps following a dance they haven’t named.

Beau, with her sharp eyes for weakness, zeroes in on the gaps in armor, the favored arm, the sensitive nerves. Her strikes hit where they’ll hurt, pulling their opponent to a sudden stop.

Jester, with her sharp eyes for strength, is the first to identify the most dangerous enemy on a field, see her allies’ best hits, and know when a fight is going poorly. She quickly closes the opening Beau makes, having started moving before she even made contact, as soon as she saw the beginnings of a great swing.

Jester’s hands crackle with energy, reaching out towards her motionless target. Her fingertips brush his neck and there’s a flash of sickly, dark green that spreads through his veins up the side of his face and down his chest.

He groans under the necrotic force but doesn’t go down, breaking free of his stun and whirling around to lash out at Jester. A kick to his back puts a stop to that, sending him to the ground in a heap that Jester neatly sidesteps.

For a few seconds, it’s just Jester and Beau, breathing heavy and wiping sweat off their faces. Jester holds up her hand and Beau meets her high five, only a little ridiculous in a bar fight, of all things.

As their concentration on fighting fades, the noises of the bar come back into focus, a cacophony of cheers and yells. One of the employees comes to drag the collapsed man and his companion they’d defeated earlier out of the way, clearing a path for the bar patrons to converge around the victors.

There’s congratulations and offers to buy drinks but Beau doesn’t hear any of it over Jester’s voice, impossibly clear over the chatter.

“We did it, Beau! We won!”

Beau gives into a goofy, lopsided smile, her true grin, not performative or forced. Just happy, just for Jester.

Jester’s face- her fangs peeking over her lips, her freckles dancing across her cheeks, her eyes shining a million shades of blue- becomes Beau’s world as she leans in closer, grabbing and pulling Beau’s face to down to her level. Beau doesn’t realize what’s happening, too mesmerized by the fragments of sapphires in Jester’s eyes and the blinding light of her smile, until their lips meet.

The crowd cheers louder for the kiss than they did for the fight, laughing good-naturedly at Beau’s wide-eyed surprise and passionate recovery.

The first time they kiss, it’s quick and it tastes like victory, hot and impulsive. They have an _audience_ but Beau can’t bring herself to mind.


	2. Fairy Tale/Emotional Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin Hood AU!

Beau crouches beside a tree and tries to ignore Jester’s giggles behind her, hoping they’re out of earshot of the guards.

“Beau,” Jester whispers, but in the dead silence of the forest, it may as well be a gunshot, “which-“

A twig snaps and Beau’s ears pick up the soft sounds of footsteps on the dirt path that winds through the forest, just a few feet in front of their tree. Reflexes kicking in, she pulls both herself and Jester closer to the tree, making sure its silhouette obscures their forms. In the same fluid motion, she covers Jester’s mouth to cut her question short. Jester pouts beneath her hand but begrudgingly accepts the necessity of silence in a run from the sheriff and huddles closer to Beau.

The guards on the path look irritated and confused, no doubt lost in the twists and turns Beau took through the forest. They’re all sighing with exertion and annoyance, not paid enough to hike through the woods all day, hunting down an elusive thief for the sake of their delusional sheriff.

“I think she took the other path. Let’s join up with our forces in the east.”

Beau exhales silently, thanking every god she knows and barely believes in. She waits until the last spot of sunlight reflecting off their stupid helmets disappears on the horizon and then moves swiftly from their hiding spot, tugging Jester along.

Her feet have memorized this forest floor, dexterously leading her around roots and rocks, choosing the path of least resistance for Jester’s sake. Jester keeps a running commentary through their walk and Beau lets her, knowing the threat has passed.

Besides, she always loves to hear Jester speak about these things, the pride and excitement in her voice is enough reward for all the trouble they’ve had.

“-then I had my doubles do a little jig to distract them and you stunned the guard like _bam_! Oh, Beau, it was so fun- we should do this more often!”

“Feel a little bad for getting you involved in a life of crime.” Beau glances up from ground briefly to look at Jester’s face, tone only half joking.

“Pssh, I was kicked out of the last town, remember? I’m hardly as innocent as my pretty face looks!” Jester frames her face with her hands, looking angelic one second, then grinning like a devil the next.

Beau’s heard this story before and she’s only half sure she believes it. Anybody would deny it upon first meeting Jester, a cheerful little tiefling girl clearly incapable of humiliating a politician, committing minor theft and causing mayhem in the streets to mask her flee from the city. But Beau knows her a little better than most, has seen that deeply chaotic energy of hers in action. This is, after all, the girl who agreed, without hesitation, to join her quest to pull off one of the highest scale robberies Nottingham has ever seen.

This last job was their biggest yet- and their most personal. Lionett family wineries may not feel the loss of revenue for long, but the poor of Nottingham could certainly be sustained by their stolen money for many months to come.

Beau just wishes she could’ve seen her father’s face when he realized just how much she was able to get away with.

“Beau, are you alright?”

“Hm?” Beau blinks away bad memories and vengeful fantasies to look at Jester, frowning in concern, “Of course. Why? Do I, like, look grumpy?”

“No, it’s just that you’ve got that look on your face like you’re thinking too hard about something dumb.”

Beau laughs and opens her mouth to respond with a joke, a transition to an easier topic, but Jester interrupts, expression earnest and serious.

“Is it about your dad?”

The forest floor is a fascinating thing, textured with unexpected holes and littered with odd plant life, giving Beau something to study while she stalls for time. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Beau looks up from the roots to meet Jester’s eyes, filled with kindness that has become Beau’s lifeline the last few weeks. Those eyes have carried her through heartbreak and abuse, made her feel valuable when Nottingham treated her like a stain on society. She knows she can answer honestly, without judgement or disappointment from Jester.

“Not really.”

Jester hums, studying Beau’s face to detect a lie. When she doesn’t find one, she smiles, a little relieved.

“Well, there’s not much to say anyway- he’s just a stupid, greedy man.”

The words are flippant, easy, but the way Jester squeezes Beau’s hand is not. Her grip is strong, an unforgettable reminder that Jester is there, should Beau change her mind.

Beau would’ve said thanks, or something equally unnecessary, but she catches sight of smoke and the first patches of straw roofs. They’ve arrived.

Jester pushes past, switching positions with Beau to pull ahead, knowing the way from here.

Arriving at the tiny village on the outskirts of town, where much of the poor of Nottingham find themselves living, is always a spectacle. It’s a rush of activity and sound, a rush that Jester meets with matching energy, one girl against a village. Beau just hands over the bag of gold, less good at interacting with the kids and thankful people here. They’re hailed with aliases whispered across the country, legends of heroes who take from the wealthy and give to those less fortunate.

Beau doesn’t know how she got stuck with _Robin Hood_ , but it’s a little late to complain about it. Jester has it easier, having chosen her own name: Maid Marion, so she can take a bit of her mother with her on her adventures.

It’s cute, though not nearly as cute as Jester and Kiri.

“Oh, you’ll finally be able to buy a new cloak and some new toys, isn’t it _wonderful_?”

“Wonderful!”

Their smiles- Jester’s, Kiri’s, and the rest of the settlement’s- wipe away the image of her father’s snarl.

 _This_ is the best part of her job.

…

Between jobs, Beau enjoys quiet moments in their borrowed cottage, barely managing to make her own tea and not ruin it. It’s nice out here, just her and Jester enjoying this place before they move onto the next town, the next community in need.

The peace and coziness is nice, of course, but she wouldn’t give up the thrill and the pride of their mission for it. She knows she could never commit to a life of sitting idly after she’s gotten a taste of adventure, of traveling the world in a whirlwind with Jester.

Jester couldn’t either, can’t even finish a quiet afternoon like Beau before she bursts through the door.

“ _Look_ at this! Isn’t it terrible?”

Jester shoves two pieces of paper in Beau’s face, too close for her eyes to focus on. She takes them from her and finds herself looking at two illustrations of her and Jester. They are truly comical, with wildly incorrect noses and stringy hair, and they’re supposed to be official Wanted posters, identifying them to the Empire. It’s laughable, and it’s exactly what she’d expect from Nottingham.

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re leaving town. Don’t think I could live with people thinking I look like _that_.”

Jester sits down at the table with Beau, taking her own teacup and pouring tea into it angrily. Her indignation is adorable, just another faucet of her passion. She feels everything so deeply, and acts on it accordingly.

“I’m making our own Wanted posters for the next town. I mean, this is _ridiculous_.”

Beau takes a drink and smiles at Jester, soft and relaxed on their day off.

“You could paint pictures of totally different people just to confuse everyone.”

Jester’s entire face lights up at the idea, the inspiration sparking nearly tangible mischief. When Jester has found an idea she likes, she can talk about it for hours, her voice like music in a lilting tune that keeps Beau invested in what she has to say.

It doesn’t require much to keep Jester going once she’s gotten fixated on something, but Beau interjects with her criminal expertise when needed, adding fuel to the fire. They’re a perfect duo in that way, unconditionally supportive, regardless of the quality of their ideas or rationality of their worries.

Scheming is their kind of downtime, going outside and talking about nothing and everything until the tea is gross, fireflies are swarming, and the stars twinkle above them.

They call it a night when Jester starts yawning, following Beau back inside the cottage with just one last glance at the night sky. Beau doesn’t recognize any of the constellations, but she swears the stars are scattered in the exact same pattern as the freckles decorating Jester’s face.

For a moment, the sky seems to smile at Beau and she smiles back. She must be more tired than she thought.

She goes inside, to sleep beside her lover, partner in crime, and roommate. There’s work to be done tomorrow, and they’ll need their rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally made an effort to move my tumblr fanfics onto this account. Bit of a throwback, but Beaujester is a timeless classic.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!


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